About NCCN

The first NCCN Guidelines for Lung Cancer Screening were recently developed and published on-line at NCCN.org. In an effort to help detect lung cancer at an earlier, more treatable stage, the NCCN Guidelines detail the expert recommendations of the NCCN Guidelines Panel for Lung Cancer Screening.

FORT WASHINGTON, PA — The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) announces the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®) for Lung Cancer Screening, a new addition to the Complete Library of NCCN Guidelines®. Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States and the world; guidance on using effective screening tools for early detection can assist in the effort to decrease mortality rates.

Currently, most lung cancer is diagnosed clinically when patients present with symptoms. Unfortunately, patients with symptoms often have advanced lung cancer, noted Douglas E. Wood, MD, of University of Washington/Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center/Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and chair of the NCCN Guidelines Panel for Lung Cancer Screening. Ideally, these new guidelines combined with the continued advancement of screening tools will lead to earlier detection of the disease when treatment is more likely to be effective.

The new NCCN Guidelines for Lung Cancer Screening primarily refer to Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, the most common type of lung cancer, and recommend helical low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening for select patients at high risk for the disease.

In addition to outlining the appropriate use of LDCT screening, the NCCN Guidelines describe risk factors for lung cancer, recommend criteria for selecting high-risk individuals for screening, provide recommendations for evaluation and follow-up of nodules found during screening, detail the accuracy of LDCT screening protocols and imaging modalities, and discuss the benefits and risks of screening.

The NCCN Guidelines are developed and updated through an evidence-based process with explicit review of the scientific evidence integrated with expert judgment by multidisciplinary panels of physicians from NCCN Member Institutions. Access to the NCCN Guidelines for Lung Cancer Screening or any of the NCCN Guidelines is available free of charge at NCCN.org.

About the National Comprehensive Cancer Network

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®), a not-for-profit alliance of 27 of the world's leading cancer centers, is dedicated to improving the quality and effectiveness of care provided to patients with cancer. Through the leadership and expertise of clinical professionals at NCCN Member Institutions, NCCN develops resources that present valuable information to the numerous stakeholders in the health care delivery system. As the arbiter of high-quality cancer care, NCCN promotes the importance of continuous quality improvement and recognizes the significance of creating clinical practice guidelines appropriate for use by patients, clinicians, and other health care decision-makers. The primary goal of all NCCN initiatives is to improve the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of oncology practice so patients can live better lives. For more information, visit NCCN.org.